Shades of The Force
by GMCH
Summary: Set right before Exar Kun's rise as Dark Lord of the Sith. Julan Tame is a promising young force-sensitive who through the course of his training rebels against mainstream perception of the force as something only composed of light and dark.
1. Chapter I

Chapter One

_Ignorant to the invisible Eden that surrounded him _

_A blind man oblivious to the masterpieces that hang on his own walls_

_But still beauty surrounds him, far too great, spilling over the brim_

There was the familiar flash of colors, the sound of an unforgettable buzzing noise. Almost like a vibroblade, but not quiet. It was raw somehow, untamed. So many blurred colors flashed in front of him, blue, green, yellow, silver, orange, red, and so many other variations. They appeared at first a solemn beam in the darkness, a bar of light, that quickly moved, a blurred trail of colored light following after. Then, as always two met faced each other, red and blue, and clashed against each other with a sickening crack. Like two separate envious bolts of lightning had struck each other.

His eyes snapped open, his heart pounding a little faster than usual, as it always did after the dream. He sat up on the pitifully thin mattress, stained with grime so badly it would never come out. Even though he was tired and could have used a little more sleep he pushed himself up. Some of the others would be back from looting soon and they would need a place to sleep. He sauntered over to a work bench with a broken droid sprawled haphazardly over the bench so that it resembled one of the drunks passed out on one of the tables at the nearby cantina.

The droid was an absolute mess, but he was determined not to complain. After all, he wasn't much of a fighter or a pickpocket, and he had to help out somehow. The other orphans liked to use it for target practice, whether it was with salvaged stun batons, half of which didn't even hold a current anymore, or the half-broken blasters he'd fixed up for a few of his favorites. He'd made sure to sabotage them ahead of time though. The worst those blasters could do was leave someone with a nasty blister. It was enough to make sure they could defend themselves though, and they could always whip it out for a bluff.

The droid seemed to be beyond any of his help at this point. The old droid, he had no idea what its serial number was, had suffered a lot of damage over the years. Its vocabulator had been badly damaged long ago, making it practically useless. He could have fixed it, but at the time the gang was short on supplies and figured it was better to sell it for food than to fix it just to have the poor droid scream its head off as the boys assaulted it.

He frowned as he looked at the last remaining of its photoreceptors, which had once again been smashed. The other one had been plucked out a long time ago and there was no telling where it had gone. The circuitry was too complicated for him to figure out how to rewire a new one in, and it only really needed one anyway.

The exposed wirings in its chest had taken another hit, this time singing one of the wires through. It wouldn't be too hard to fix, but it just proved he'd have to take one of the pickpockets or check out the junk yard to find a good metal plate he could use to protect the droids wiring.

Already his hands were covered in a thick greasy black grime that seemed to cover the inside of the droid and much of the exterior as well. He took a moment to wipe off some sweat on his brow, aiming for the exposed part of his wrist since the actual sleeve would surprisingly be dirtier than his hands were.

He had hoped he could avoid having to steal parts again since he hated to, even going so far as to spend several hours tweaking the droids programming to avoid critical damage. He wasn't too great at programming, but most of it he had learned from trial and error. He'd given the droid some defensive capabilities, to draw out its lifespan but also to prevent anyone who wasn't part of the gang from stealing it. He had managed to figure out a way to program triggers so that if someone who wasn't part of the gang tried to mess around with it, it should have been able to take out even the most intimidating thief.

He finally left it alone, deciding there was nothing else he could do until he had the parts he needed. Some of the pickpockets were returning now, and he was looking through them to find the one he was most friendly with. Most of what they brought back was usually food they had stolen from vendors. Credits usually caused people to suspect them of stealing. The pickpocketing half of the gang was usually reserved for the girls or the younger orphans, but it wasn't like people were forced into a job just because of their gender, it was just that the boys had a taste for fighting.

The other half of the gang maintained territory by fighting. Nothing ever got more serious than a bloody lip, and they never tried to steal territory from the other orphan gangs but it was important to keep their territory secured. Otherwise their hideout could get raided and they'd lose all their food and supplies as well as their only safe place to sleep.

"Looking for a quick hand Julan?" He heard a familiar voice cry out, and he turned around, feeling a little dizzy as his heart fluttered. At 11 years old Yliana was 2 years older than him, and he'd never seen a more beautiful woman. Well, Twi'lek. But she was still a woman. She twirled around her blaster, one he had upgraded himself to deliver a slightly more potent sting. He had even found a lens while shifting around the junk yard that caused the beam to turn purple, which being Yliana's skin color, was her favorite color. "Yeah," he said feeling his face get a little hot, "I need to get some parts for the droid. Can't be avoided I'm afraid."


	2. Chapter II

Chapter Two

_Such whispers cause hope to spring_

_Igniting the imagination and reviving his spirit _

_And cause his heart to sing_

Yliana was one of the orphans who went out to fight off the other gangs, and before that had been one of the best pickpockets in the gang. She smiled a little as she noticed Julan's blush and chuckled mentally._ Kids_. "Alright kido, lets get going then." She said, putting up her blaster.

Julan nodded and went for the closest exit, pulling back a flap of leather from god knows what kind of animal to get outside. The hideout wasn't well hidden, amongst piles of trash and old factory parts it was something of a makeshift mansion pieced together by cheap pieces of metal with the occasional leather canvas serving as a roof. Their sector used to be a small privately owned factory, but a long time ago the business had gone bankrupt and it had turned into a slums. Old parts had been piled up in a small junk yard where they had built their substitute home.

The two of them got to moving, weaving through a short maze of trash heaps before coming out into what resembled a street. The occasional speeder would zip by overhead, but it was usually several sectors up, since few had any reason to come down this low save to avoid air traffic elsewhere.

"I hear there's a Jedi snooping around sector." One voice whispered, though it was the kind that was only meant to sound of secrecy when anyone could hear it from a mile away.

"You always say that Byrec, just this week you said that five times." The bartender said with a chuckle while cleaning a glass halfheartedly.

"Actually I've heard the same around sector. For once in his life Byrec might be telling the truth."

"I am?"

Julan glanced over at Yliana with a look of intrigue. It was unlikely they'd run into a Jedi while they were out, and even if they did it wasn't guaranteed they'd be able to spot them, but it was an interesting thought. He'd never seen a Jedi before, something that seemed almost laughable what with having lived on Courasant, home of the Jedi Temple. Yliana just rolled her eyes and scoffed as if to say "yeah right," or "keep dreaming," but still flashed a gentle smile in his direction that made his little heart skip a beat.

They pushed through the indifferent crowd, occasionally stumbling as someone shoved past too hard. No one down here had the time to show sympathy or pity towards children, like everyone else they were competition and obstacles. Here on the streets everyone pushed and shoved to get where they needed to, that was just a fact of life here on the lower sectors of Courasant. Neither of them complained when the were shoved, they just recovered and kept going without a word. Julan couldn't help but get a little annoyed when a visitor from an upper sector, here to visit a storage warehouse or buy cheap parts, would fire sharp glares at members of the crowd who shoved them as they walked. Who honestly had the time or energy to get worked up over a tiny push? It was much better just to ignore it and keep moving.

They emerged from the sea of people to stand in front of the junk store, a place where a rag-tag assortment of used goods, usually old droid or speeder parts, could be bought or sold. He was pretty familiar with the storekeeper here, and had changed his mind half-way there and decided he wouldn't be stealing the parts after all. "Afternoon Julan!" The human storekeeper cried out, "after new parts?"

"Yeah, I'll probably owe you a couple of day's worth of work in exchange."

"Well I'll leave you to find what you need."

He was on pretty good terms with the storekeeper here, and his frequent visits, whether to browse or trade, had improved that relationship. Often times the gang couldn't afford the kind of parts they needed, and the storekeeper would lat him come and fix old broken parts people had sold in order to make them useable. Depending on how much time he had he would either offer to work or go steal from another store with a less friendly storekeeper, but he never stole from here. Often times the storekeeper would offer him extra credits, considering the amount of work usually translated to be worth more than the parts he needed, but he almost always turned it down. All he needed were the parts, and he didn't mind the thought that the storekeeper was making more money that he usually would have.

Yliana stood next to the doorway to watch the river of people pass by, glancing only for a moment at the robed man half-heartedly looking at junked parts. Her eyes had only lingered on him for a moment due to the fact he was donned in red-brown robes with a beige tunic underneath. A spark born of her imagination illuminated her face as she came to the conclusion this man with his strange fashion sense must be a Jedi! But she shook the thought off, reminding herself of the unlikely chance a she would ever run into a Jedi in this place, so she turned her head around and the light that illuminated her face dampened as she turned to watch the stream of bodies flow past again.

Julan, who hadn't noticed the man in the red-brown robes had already closed his eyes in concentration. The noise of the hundreds of millions of people outside dimmed to almost complete silence, and then a sound like the ringing of a little bell echoed across the room. He opened his eyes and glanced at the direction of the noise, believing to have seen a tiny glimmer of light from across the room. He crossed it, moving the parts aside to uncover the necessary parts for the repairs. He did this whenever he was looking for something and didn't have time to waste, and it always worked without fail. Yliana and some of the other gang members had thought it a little odd at first, but by now were so used to it they never thought twice about it and accepted it as just one of Julan's quirks. Many of them would even ask him to help them find a missing belonging, which he always succeeded in founding.

Though Julan didn't notice, the peculiar man suddenly straightened his back and looked over at the boy as if he too had heard the strange ringing of the bell. Julan, still oblivious to the gaze of the robed man, walked over to the counter for the man to ring up how much everything would cost. "I'll come by later tomorrow" Julan assured him.

"Just come by whenever you're free, there's no rush."

He walked up beside Yliana and they wordlessly passed through the entryway back into the teaming masses, where the joined voices of millions of people and machinery made it impossible to hear footsteps that followed them discretely through the crowd. "I changed my mind halfway. Sorry for taking up your time, I didn't need to steal anything after all."

"Its alright, I know you just wanted the excuse to be with me." She said with a devilish smile and a wink. Julan didn't deny anything, mostly because his fire-bright ears would have given away his lies. "I like spending time with you, so don't worry about it," she said, laughing softly.


	3. Chapter III

Chapter Three

_He is ready to leave without a second thought_

_In a place where there is no hope for future and faces blend unrecognizable amongst thousands _

_For what reason ought he naught? _

They made their way back to their makeshift home, separating as Yliana went off the socialize with the other orphans, and he went off to start working on repairs. The noise started to increase as more and more orphans arrived, roughhousing and arguing over food. In the din he remained incredibly focused; all of the noise fading and dispersed like paint in water. His nimble fingers ripped out the necessary wires like an indifferent surgeon pulling out the intestines of his patient. He rewired everything, replacing those that needed to be replaced, and began working on replacing the droid's photoreceptor, which flickered pathetically as he tampered with the wiring.

Some of the wires were too far away for his hands to reach. He glanced around the room, his hand reaching towards the droid's chest. Invisible threads felt through the chest of the droid, finding the desired wires and parts and drawing them out, appearing to be floating on their own towards him. They came down for a soft landing on his palm, and he began his work again.

He walked outside, pulling a large metal plate from the heaps of trash that towered around them, old remains from the failed factory that used to make up this sector. He wandered back to the work table and began to weld the plate over the droids midsection to better protect its inner workings from blaster fire or stun batons. Time slipped away and by the time he had finished, which to him seemed to have been mere minutes, several hours had slipped away. "I'm sorry you got broken again buddy," he said apologetically, feeling somewhat cruel bringing the poor thing back to life again and again. The droid flickered to life and straightened itself, sitting up before pushing itself off the workbench and standing rigidly next to it. Julan moved on to fixing the other broken weapons and stolen gadgets he could sell back for more parts.

When he noticed the flickering shadow of a full grown man he calmly grasped a nearby blaster, hiding it behind his back as he turned quickly to face the robed man standing across the room. "Sorry to intrude," the man said, putting up his hands to show he meant no harm, as if he was fully aware of the blaster hidden behind his back. "I'm not a threat." He said, waving his hand in a strange matter. Julan felt a strange sensation in his skull, a subtle thing that felt as if his train of thought had suddenly changed tracks. He narrowed his eyes, struggling against the sensation and finding that once he isolated it, it was rather easy to overcome. "What are you doing here?" He asked, drawing his blaster, though it looked laughably awkward in his hand.

"No need to get hostile," The main said, putting his hands down while at the same time pulling back his hood. His long overgrown hair was tied almost like a ponytail, but it only included his bangs while the rest was tucked behind his ears. His hair extended to his shoulders at its longest, had streaks of grey and gold that gave him the look of an old lion, aged beyond his years through an incredibly difficult and unstable life. His rough skin, which Julan would a long time after this recognize as being the result of exposure to a countless number of foreign suns, set him as a definite traveler. "I've just been looking for some repairs to my ship. The parts have been hard to find, and I'm a lousy mechanic. Some of them were broken and a lot of people suggested you take a look." His eyes didn't so much as glimmer at the mention of the lie, lying had become as natural as the short calculated motions he made to deflect blaster fire with his lightsaber.

He held out a handful of random parts, all of which -- he knew from what mechanical knowledge he had – were used in some fashion or other in his starfighter… But really had no clue what their actual use was. Julan wasn't fooled for a moment, but figured that if he was able to better the conditions of the other orphans he might as well accept the work. Besides, the man intrigued him, so he might as well play along and act oblivious in hopes of learning more about him. He turned around and started tinkering with the parts on the table.

"That was interesting how you managed to find exactly what you were looking for out of all those parts earlier in the shop today…" The man commented, walking over to the droid who was now standing at attention. "I just know where everything is there," He said nonchalantly, playing dumb and giving nothing away in the process.

"No one can remember a whole junk store's worth of material. Especially one like that where people are bringing in something every couple of hours..." He trailed off now looking the droid up and down. The droid seemed to be assessing the man, ready for him to attack at any moment like the uncivilized savages who ambushed him constantly and forced his poor young master to spend hours on his repairs, bless his soul.

"I don't know what you're expecting me to say…"

The man seemed to be even more interested in the droid who was still watching his movements with nervous apprehension. He suddenly reached forward, intending to open the droid up and take a look, when the droids programmed triggers fired off and its defensive capabilities were multiplied times a hundred. It suddenly shifted into a fighting stance and delivered a bone-crushing kick to the man's leg. Caught off guard he wasn't able to defend himself from the droids attack, but strangely enough the android failed to break his leg, which usually would have left any other man's bones shattered. It turned around, ready to deliver a roundhouse punch when there was a flash of yellow light and a crack of lightning followed by a low buzz that Julan instantly recognized from his dreams.

But he had no time to focus on déjà vu and bolted for the remains of the droid, sliced in half in a diagonal line. There would be no repairing the poor thing. Its single robotic eye flickered like the headlight of a dying car as it stared up to him with an eerily loving expression for a droid, and then powered down for the one hundredth time.

"I'm sorry, I had no choice, it suddenly attacked and-"

"I heard it before, a thousand times at least."

"What noise?"

"That thing," He said pointing at the lightsaber. "I've seen them in my dreams, but all of them different colors, and two fighting. I have it all the time, I almost dream of nothing else." It was enchanting now to see the thing, fully formed glowing in the dim light of the shack. "You're a Jedi, aren't you?"

His yellow saber shrank back into its hilt and he clipped it effortlessly back onto his belt. "Yeah, I am." He said, pressing a finger to his lips as if to say "just between you and me." He was surprised the kid hadn't figured things out sooner, he was obviously bright, and his ability to use The Force (though he might not understand that to be the source of his unusual 'quirks') and even resist mind tricks at his age was astonishing.

"What are you really here for?" He asked, still too dazed to believe any of this was really real. He felt kind of sick and suddenly wanted to lie down.

"You caught my attention while I was looking for repairs." He said, a smile flickering for a moment over his face. "You're sensitive to The Force; I've felt you use it several times, though you might not have realized that's what you were doing."

"What's The Force?"

"Well, maybe some day you'll find out."

This seemed to confuse him, but when he realized after several moments that no explanation would be given Julan became infuriated. He saw no sense in not simply explaining something he apparently had. It was like refusing to describe a mole on someone's face for them. He realized suddenly that the man was about to leave as he started moving towards the exit, and stopped him with a noise and raising his hand. He paused momentarily, before focusing on the man's head and imagining it to be wired like a droids, he waved his hand in the same manner the Jedi had, and felt something move as if he had switched around all the wires. "Tell me what The Force is…"

Of course, to someone who was more weak-minded this first attempt at a Jedi mind trick would have worked without fail. To Leon Novar, former Jedi Watchman, it did nothing more than disrupt his concentration for a moment. However, being on nearly the same level as a Jedi Master, this was incredibly impressive especially on his first attempt with no previous teachings. Any Jedi would have been more than happy to take him on as a student, would have called him a fool for not rescuing the child immediately from the slums and cultivating his potential.

But Leon was not just any Jedi, and believed that raw potential alone could not decide whether a student was worthy to be taught in The Force. To be a Jedi was not defined merely by their ability to wield The Force, but in their attitude towards it. A Jedi required emotional and intellectual insight and maturity, lest they ultimately fall to the dark side. He had been frustrated by the abundance of immature, arrogant little brats that had been accepted into the Jedi academy based off of pure ability alone. There were even clans of Jedi now, Jedi that followed a family tradition. He scoffed at such traditions, thinking them to be born of vanity and was therefore disrespectful to the dignity of the Jedi order. It was this kind of arrogance and false superiority coupled with actual potential that led to upstarts like Exar Kun and the Qel-Droma boy.

No, he wouldn't take the kid before the council just yet for consideration. He had to prove himself worthy for consideration, and that would take many many months at the very least. He wondered momentarily what course of action to take. He couldn't leave his duties without attending to them, but if he took the child it would be too cruel to just take him back home should he fail.

He looked down into the boy's eyes, pleading as if he had read his mind, screaming out to him "please, teach me, I'll do anything, I'll go anywhere." To some extent, he felt his heart melt.


	4. Chapter IV

Chapter Four

_Amongst teeming life _

_He fancies he hears its whispers_

_No longer deafened by strife _

Standing at the edge of a ravine, he faced the turmoiled breath of this fantastic world, it roared back to him as lightning flashed across the sky. He could practically hear the grass beneath his feet open microscopic green mouths to inhale the nitrogen infused air. Amongst so much life, he thought he could feel the pulse of The Force that Leon had talked about. In some ways it was a whisper, like the sound of the grass inhaling, at others it seemed to him as obvious as the roar and crack of thunder. It was impossible though to be sure, he simply had a hunch, going off what little information Leon had divulged.

It had only been about a month since he'd left the gang. It took little to convince Leon to take him along. He'd at first simply begged, but then offered what help he could repairing the man's ship. It probably wouldn't have made any difference; Leon seemed to have decided long before he made the offer, had perhaps decided on taking him even before he had shown up at the hideout.

He had offered up a tearless goodbye to his fellow orphans. Although he had always gotten along with them, he'd never really gotten too close to any of them, and all of them were too hardened by their difficult lives to shed a tear at this parting. Yliana had seemed a little sad, and he took extra time to say goodbye to her. She smiled, her heart aching like she was losing a brother, and placed a tender kiss upon his forehead that made him glow.

The droid was ruined beyond any repair, and out of some emotional responsibility, Julan removed its memory core, vowing to one day restore it to a new body. He'd gathered it along with a few other trinkets, a blaster with the safety removed, and some extra parts and tools that might come in handy.

There was a lot of work to be done on 'Master' Novar's starfighter. It was a pretty old but obviously durable vessel, not really equipped for combat but convenient travel. It was beat up and dirty, caked in the mud and grime from countless worlds. The dents, broken shield system, and carbon scoring were evidence that these were calm vacations that 'Master' Novar went on (and to some extent reminded him of Leon himself). While fixing it up to make it space worthy again he realized it was only built to seat one, and he would most likely have to sit in the storage space behind the pilots seat.

It took him a while to repair the fighter, mostly because he was working with parts and systems far more advanced than he had ever tinkered with before. For some reason though, after enough study, he was able to decipher the purpose of each part, and would quickly restore it to its former function. Leon said he believed this was an expression of The Force, a mysterious power that ran through all living things and often times guided the actions of others.

It was through The Force that Jedi were able to exhibit such amazing abilities. Some used it to move objects telepathically, others used it to heal wounds, to jump great distances, or to increase their speed tenfold. All of this was facilitated through the manipulation of midi-chlorians, tiny microscopic organisms which apparently allowed the host to channel The Force. Through some manipulation of The Force he apparently was able to comprehend the use of each part, and eventually understand how to fix it.

After a month he'd finished the repairs and they waited for orders from the Jedi Council. One restless night, Julan had snuck down from the apartment they were renting at the time to the landing deck nearby, and saw that Leon was sitting in the pilot seat, a hologram message projecting flickering blue light on his haggard face. It cut off, and he leapt out of the pilot seat.

"Leon?" Julan asked, referring to him by his first name as Leon had told him to, unless other Jedi were around in which case he would be referred to as Master Novar.

"We're leaving." He told him, and then beckoned him back to the apartment to gather their things.

And now they had arrived on this lush uninhabited planet, he knew not its actual name, and he was completely taken aback. Living on Courasant for most of his life, he'd never seen so much green except for the putrid fungus that might grow in dark moist corners. The rumbling storm clouds just enhanced his awe as he stood on the cliff that led to a huge trench separating this plateau from the others. The grass was tall in some places, waving like green wheat in the stormy wind, and short in others more like a glorified moss.

Despite the turbulent skies it felt so much more peaceful and energized here than in Courasant. There on the capital world the teeming life chaotically scrambled to rise higher than its peers, tumbling and rolling around in a titanic struggle. There was so much life on Courasant, and all of the same kind, that it made it impossible to clear the mind.

"I don't really understand why they decided to put the Jedi Temple on Courasant," Leon said, unpacking a few things from the ship. "It's so hard to center yourself on its streets, and most people are almost deafened to The Force after living there amongst the crowds too long. But I suppose that the way the temple is removed from the rest of the city helps."

Julan was thankful that he wasn't deafened to The Force himself. He'd never been so excited in his life. Ahead of him, if he managed to prove himself to Leon, was an incredible life filled with learning the secrets and teachings of the Jedi and of learning to use The Force to defy his own pre-established rules of reality. Many would be impatient, but so long as he would eventually prove himself worthy, he could wait a century.

Leon was fumbling around with a spare brown cloak like the red one he wore over his tunic. He took out his lightsaber, holding it up with one hand while quickly slicing off the arms and tail so that it wasn't so long, then threw it over to Julan with the edges still faintly glowing. "You'll need that if it rains."

"Thanks," he replied, donning the cloak and feeling like a Jedi already.


	5. Chapter V

Chapter Five

_He is no longer blind to the works of art that hang on his walls_

_But so many are painted by the same artists in stark black and white _

_Where are the other works by other masters who enthrall the senses with color?_

They slowly made their way down the Cliffside, following a badly worn path that was steadily being eroded away by heavy rains. The world was apparently composed of large plateaus with many veins of rivers that eventually eroded huge canyons between each. It was always stormy, lightning storms covered at least half the planet at any time.

As they walked the storms continued to grow while the light shone brightly, causing an interesting effect as the beams of sunlight managed to spill over the storm cloud's ramparts. Great shadows lay in contrast to brightly lit fields and valleys as they walked, an almost artistic struggle between light and dark. It sent shivers down his skin to see them both together, realizing that without one, the other would lose the striking quality it had on the senses.

They reached the edge of the cliff, finally reaching the valley between plateaus and were able to see around the corner. A few miles away was a great moss covered sandstone pyramid. It was obvious that it had fallen into ruin, whatever civilization responsible for its creation was long gone. At the very tip of the pyramid was a great ruby, beautifully juxtaposed against the greenery that grew around it as well as clung to the yellow surface of the structure.

Leon explained to him that long ago, a Force-sensitive civilization had thrived on this world. Often young civilizations would discover The Force themselves, building their own beliefs around it. The Jedi council respected the beliefs of these people, although usually once the Jedi were introduced, the native traditions were absorbed into the Jedi traditions.

This civilization had been much like those, building its own belief system around The Force. However, Jedi exiles, 'Sith' as they were called, had visited the world and offered up their own teachings to the indigenous peoples. The Sith were exiled Jedi, or Dark Jedi who practiced the dark side of the force and reveled in power and cruelty. The civilization had destroyed itself, corrupted by greed and hunger for power and dominance.

"Why are we here then?" Julan asked, glancing around to see if any more structures lay in the distance and seeing only the remains of a broken stone road that bent around another cliff.

"Several Jedi have gone missing the past couple of months." Leon replied, instinctively patting his lightsaber to make sure it was still there. "One of our more promising students, at least as far as power goes, left the Order."

"Why would someone leave the Order?"

"Because they no longer agree with its ideals. Since then several Jedi have disappeared without any word. Some we fear may have been killed; assassinated. Others we fear may have joined Exar Kun… He was tainted with darkness that one, I fear he may bring about the revival of the Sith."

"So we're looking for them here?"

"One, at least. This was the last known place the last missing Jedi went." He paused, before glancing down at Julan. "If things look bad, you need to make sure you hide. If a Jedi has fallen, he won't hesitate to strike even a youngling like you down."

Julan nodded solemnly in response and brought his hood up to cover his head just before the rain started to fall.

They followed the broken pathway, and Julan struggled to scale all the large broken sandstone bricks as they continued on. He wondered what on earth could have shattered the large bricks that made up the ancient road, and why someone would even bother.

They rounded the corner, and Leon stopped with an exasperated sigh. Before them stood the mouth of a tremendous cave, larger than even Julan could have imagined. At either side of the entrance stood two titanic statues guarded it, hunched as if bearing a great weight and holding a pyramid within their cupped hands. Julan would one day come to recognize the pyramids as stone replicas of Sith holocrons. A strange sort of fog with an ever so subtle tint of purple perpetually rolled out from the cave, as if it were some giant beast breathing its hot breath into the cold air.

"It's tainted with the dark side." Leon said to himself, placing a hand on Julan's shoulder. "Stay close to me as we approach, but as soon as you find a suitable hiding place I want you to run straight to it." Julan gave a nod in understanding.

They continued on at a slightly slower more cautious pace, entering to the left side so that they walked along the heel of one of the statues. Candle light flickered further inside the cavern, which held a large altar, and many statues and columns to support the cavern ceiling. In front of the altar sat a man hunched over with his bent legs beneath him, not in the traditional lotus position of Jedi meditation.

Julan silently moved to hide behind a nearby set of statues whose figures he couldn't make out in the dim lighting, and Leon continued on, advancing towards the man. Through the crack between two statues he would be able to watch the scene unfold. The man still seemed unaware, or unwilling to address, their presence. The altar was a simple stone slab, but a small indentation lay in the center in the shape of a diamond. It was meant for a holocron.

"I came here, hoping to find the holocron that the Sith so famously bestowed upon these people." The unknown Jedi said. Leon was thankful the voice was not familiar, which would have only made what was sure to come even more difficult. The position he was sitting in was not one used for Jedi meditation, it was one preferred by the Sith. The Jedi stood, facing him, and Leon noted that he no longer wore the traditional Jedi robes but was donned in the black robes of a Dark Jedi Knight. "But it seems to have been snatched away by the Jedi long ago, sealed away no doubt in the Jedi archives for none to see."

"That holocron lead to the deaths of thousands of people." Leon said; ready to draw his blade at any moment. Even at this distance he could feel the tainted hatred pouring of the Dark Jedi's body in pulse-like waves. It made him sick and dizzy. "It shouldn't be seen by anyone."

"Who are _you_ to decide what to do with _our_ relics?!"

"You would corrupt even more? You would lead to another world's destruction?!" Leon asked, his voice raised, stepping to the side so that the two began to circle each other.

"These people were weak!" His scarlet lightsaber buzzed to life, the familiar sound echoing in the cavern so that it sounded like a buzz saw. "They bowed in weak submission and were destroyed because of it! Gaze upon their statues, their backs hunched in pathetic obedience!" He growled, his eyes shifting violently about, froth forming at his mouth and spittle flying across the gap as he shouted out each word.

Leon lit his own blade and spun it with a flourish. "No one is lost to the fall boy, you need not tread down this path, you can turn back to the light." He said, pleading but in a forceful tone, the worst thing you could do when confronted by a Dark Jedi was to show weakness.


	6. Chapter VI

Chapter Six

_It seems that all is within his grasp _

_Then all is lost _

_And firmly clasped again_

The Dark Jedi spat at his face. "I'll have none of your talks of redemption or falls Jedi! If you want to talk about falls I'll see you fall!" He lunged forward, his saber a blur of light that clashed with Leon's, resounding with the sound of lighting bolt striking lightning bolt. They leapt back away from each other, and Leon advanced forward "Don't make me take your life."

"If I am too weak to defeat an old fool like you I'd gladly offer it up!"

They clashed again, the Dark Jedi's anger fueling his blows, but still they were no match for Leon's experience and concentration. Even in the face of so much overwhelming emotion he did not falter. The Dark Jedi Knight came at him will all his force and Leon blocked the strike with his saber, though he found it slowly being pushed back towards him.

He pushed momentarily back and then switched his blade off, using the force to leap backwards several feet, ascending to the top of the cavern before falling back to earth again. The Dark Jedi stumbled forward, having overcompensated, and roared in rage. He reached backwards with his free hand, a few pieces of rubble and cave rock rising up from the ground and flew over the Jedi in a single thrust. Leon shifted in the blink of an eye to a defensive position, and with a few blurred motions of his saber vaporized each and ever stone bullet.

The Sith charged again, now substituting intense power for speed, but as they collided once more Leon remained with the upper hand. However it seemed that the younger fallen Jedi was not tiring, and the lion-maned sentinel was forced to suddenly push the boy back with the force, throwing him across the room and smashing him against the altar. Dust and bits of rock fell from the ceiling, the collision shaking the foundation from which the cave ceiling was supported. The Dark Jedi fell down to the ground, and heaved as rage continued to overtake him. He inhaled and exhaled like a wild beast, down on his hands and knees his right hand clutching his lightsaber.

"See, all your anger doesn't really help you. Don't you want to let go of that hatred?" Leon said silently approaching him, and then holding out his hand to help him up. "Let go of it, come back to the Order."

The Sith's anger only seemed to build, his breathing increasing and he inhaled through his teeth, which hissed through the spittle that formed in-between the cracks. He screamed suddenly, all his rage and fury released and embodied in the force. Rubble fell from the ceiling and Leon staggered, made dizzy from the onslaught of the dark side. The Sith stood, slashing with his fiery blade. The lightsaber cut through Leon's stomach and he collapsed.

Julan didn't know how he managed what happened next. He seemed to be a puppet with some invisible force pulling the strings. He screamed out on his own, but instead of darkness and hatred his voice was filled with light and love. His body seemed to glow all around him as he flew from his hiding spot at inhuman speeds towards the Dark Jedi. The Sith shielded his eyes as Julan ran into him like a cannon ball. Light seemed to attack the fallen Jedi like acid, grasping at his darkened clothes and skin and burning at the taint. The fallen Jedi fled from the cavern, daring not to look back at his victorious foe, only a few years old.

Julan seemed to regain control as he stood over Leon, whose stomach was badly cut, though the saber had already cauterized the wound. He started crying, completely helpless as Leon lay motionless on the ground, unable to move. The Jedi seemed too distracted by subduing the pain to talk, but after what seemed to be hours he finally began to stir. "Boy, help me up." He said, and Julan obliged. They staggered from the mouth of the cave, and this seemed to help Leon to concentrate not being surrounded by the essence of the dark side.

They slowly trudged along the path they came, Julan trying as best he could to support the Jedi but being so young there was little he could actually do. It took them the entire day to get back up to the plateau, and Julan worried that Leon was on his last leg. At last they were within sight of the starfighter, but it seemed increasingly obvious Leon would not have the strength to pilot it back home. They needed medical attention as soon as possible.

As night quickly approached on dusk's heels and they grew nearer a single star fell from the sky, moving across the horizon until it changed direction and sped straight towards them. It slowed as it neared, turning to the side to reveal it was a starship, a small cruiser. Its lights flickered on Julan's (now dry, though the tears left noticeable marks on his face where the salt had dried) and Leon's pain twisted face. Two robed figures emerged from it shortly after landing, and ran to them frantically. One of them was a Bith Jedi healer, and bright aqua light flew from him as he approached, surrounding Leon, whose face suddenly lost its tension.


	7. Chapter VII

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

_When the fate of another hangs in your balance_

_What path shall you set him on?_

_Is he worthy to walk the path to dawn?_

"My friend, I look forward to the day you lose you legs so that you don't go off on any of these foolish adventures and are forced to stay here with us." The Bith Jedi Healer said as he sat beside Leon Novar in the Jedi Temple's infirmary. "If I hadn't felt you in the Force, you would have been a dead man."

Leon scoffed at his comment, chuckling a little before his laughter was cut short by the intense abdominal pain. He had very nearly died do to the lightsaber blow to the stomach, but thanks to his Bith friend he'd received enough medical attention to be able to survive long enough for the proper organ transplants. "Surprising to hear such words from someone devoted to healing the sick, Dono." He said with a smile, glancing out the window at the sun setting in the distance, as yellow as his friends bulbous head.

"You could do so much good here teaching the younglings," Dono Quamar said, then paused momentarily, "or sitting on the Jedi council."

"We've talked about this before." Leon said, his voice clearly irritated. If he could have moved he would have punched the Jedi Healer for bringing it up. "I have no right to sit on the council. Not when my padawan…"

"You mustn't blame yourself for that Leon." Dono said, resting his hand on his childhood friend's shoulder, troubled by his rising anger._ Isolation from other Jedi has caused him to forget to center himself._ "Yours was not the first my friend. Many more have turned before now despite their teachers, and many more will turn after. It is unavoidable."

Leon didn't say anything at all. How could he convey to Dono how horrible it had been? His heart still hurt with the same intensity it had years ago. The guilt of not being able to keep his padawan from falling, for not being able to pull him out of the darkness. The guilt of being responsible for the destruction of an entire world. A world on which he served as Jedi Watchman.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Master Novar, Master Quarnar." A voice said followed by the peculiar sound of bark rubbing against bark. "But I must inquire as to what shall be done with the child." Master Ood Bnar said, standing at the foot of Leon's bed, his brow forever locked in a squinting gaze. "It is clear the child holds potential. Surely you don't mean to hold him from training," the tree-like Jedi said, placing a branch-like arm on the bedpost.

"With all due respect Master Bnar," He said, nodding his head in respect for the Neti council member. "I was trying to assess whether or not he would be a good choice for further training."

"You do not trust your fellow Jedi to decide for themselves?"

"I believe initiates shouldn't be accepted based on potential alone. Potential can sometimes lead to arrogance. And we've all seen what can come out of that. What has come out of it."

"I have detected no such arrogance in the youngling though." Dono mentioned, "He seemed quite eager to learn, and patient at that. He still seems to be withdrawn, unsure of who he is, but I sense that in time he will grow into himself."

"I agree I haven't seen much to discourage me, but I would prefer more time…" Leon said, and watched as his fellow masters exchanged glances.

"Leon, if you wait much longer, he'll be too old to accept into the Order. I know what you're trying to do, but if the boy exhibits the kind of ability you described then we have no choice but to take him." Dono said, resting his hand once again upon his friend's shoulder.

"If we do not, the rising Sith shall find him, and take him under their wing. And then a great good will be lost to us, and we shall be to blame for the destruction he unleashes."

Leon was silent, overwhelmed with frustrated emotions. The troubled look of his childhood friend caused him to center and calm himself. Suddenly he realized how he had been slowly letting his emotions loose. "Do what you will with the child."

"If it would please you, you may take him as your padawan after his training," Dono suggested.

"No," he said abruptly, waving a hand dismissively. "I will take no more padawans. I have no right to." He looked away from them, staring out the window because he couldn't stand their worried gazes. "Leave me, please. I've grown tired."

The Bith and the Neti Masters silently left him, walking together silently for a few moments before Ood spoke. "There is little you can do, Master Quarnar. Your kind attempts to reach him shall only frustrate him further."

"I fear that such emotions will turn him to the darkside. His hatred for the darkside is only leading him down its path." Dono said. He took a moment to center himself as he felt emotions begin to rise within himself; feelings of sadness, of frustration, perhaps even anger.

"Your concern is well placed," Ood assured him. "But if you push him, it will only push him away. To have a padawan fall to the darkside is a terrible thing. But the circumstances for him were especially horrific. Any attempt for you to comfort him will only be met by his frustration at your inability to grasp the gravity of his anguish." His voice was filled with calm and patience that still amazed Dono every time he heard it.

"Thank you for your words Master Bnar."

"If you hope to help him, it must be done by more subtle measures. Perhaps the key lies in this child. Younglings bring hope for the future in every Jedi, let us see if that hope cannot renew our friend."


	8. Chapter VIII

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The time at last has come to set her wheels in motion

She is rejected for her sin

Driven by unbridled emotion

Kale Besand sighed as she shifted the blaster rifle across her stomach, cramped in a nook where a tree limb sprouted up against the trunk. She glanced into the thick chemical haze that swirled around the colony, her well trained eyes darting about as she searched for movement. The fourteen year old looked out of place there, the heavy blaster rifle seeming so familiar in her hands, her black eyes juxtaposed against blonde hair betraying her aged soul.

Something stirred and her eyes shot to the spot, she could feel it, like an echo reverberating off her skin. She leaned forward, her back shifting from the trunk to the tree limb and fired a volley of blaster shots into the mist. There was a howling as one of the mutated creatures screamed out, but she had already switched position again at the sound of a snapping twig. "Nice shot," Vash Cee, one of the older boys from the colony said as he stepped forward.

She didn't reply except for a short "Hmph," and slowly eased herself out of the tree, her well defined muscles flexing for a moment as she hang from the branch before she let herself drop to the ground. "Here," she said, chucking the rifle at him without so much of a glance.

He watched her as she passed his eyes drifting down her slender body, noticing her newly acquired voluptuous figure. "You know the Jedi are coming today," He said, hoping to start a conversation with the girl before she left.

"Really?" She said, her eyes narrowing as she walked off into the mist towards the colony. Of course she knew, she'd been planning for it for months, years even. She ran through the forest, hearing the sound of rain bouncing of the strange vegetation. The acid rain bounced off her skin, hissing as it fell on her skin. Though it stung, she didn't pay it any attention at all, refusing to let the pain hinder her at all, in a place like this, you learned to deal with life's hardships.

She pushed open the door to her miserable home. Her mother was in the kitchen, cleaning Force knew what while her father sat silently at the kitchen table, fixing some stupid gadget of his. Without a word she moved towards the rest room, her parents looking up in alarm. She stepped into the shower and turned it on, letting the somewhat dirty water wash away the acid, though it stung the now raw skin.

She reminded herself as she felt the grime of the day be replaced by the grime of the tap water that this was all going to be over soon. She seemed to release some of the tension now, imagining how wonderful it would be to train on Courasant or even Dantooine. She had learned everything she knew from an old ex-Jedi who'd fallen in love with one of the colonists and had left the order to be with her. She had died from exposure to the toxins in the air. What an idiot. She had since then thought of nothing else than to join the order and learn the ways of the Jedi, to escape this place and not be forced to inhale its foul air any longer.

This place made her sick. How her parents could sit idly by, content, she had no idea. The world had been the home of a very important chemical plant, one of the largest in the galaxy. An accident had destroyed the plant, and left the planet's atmosphere devastated. The flora and fauna had mutated due to exposure to so many foreign chemicals which had formed a thick mist that covered the entire planet and resulted in acid rain. Some company had offered substantial pay to colonists who agreed to help steadily clean up areas of the planet to prepare for a second plant.

It was a miserable existence that she had been born into. Except for the occasional excitement of an attack from one of the mutated beasts the lurked in the mist there was little else to look forward to. She had devoted herself to the watch at an early age, standing for a few hours at the border of the colony and shooting anything that got too close.

She hated it, but never complained. Despite the way her lungs ached with every breath for clean air or her skin burned when acid rain fell from the murky sky she never complained about the hardships of colony life, just the incredible pointlessness. She hated her parents who sat there, completely devoid of ambition, happy to simply be together in this miserable place.

She let herself forget her frustration for a moment, glancing over at the flashing clock before stepping out of the shower and throwing on some clothes. The lack of pattering on the roof revealed that the rain had stopped. She had spent more time than she thought brooding in the shower, if she didn't get going she would miss the Jedi examination.

"I'm going out," She said, as her parents watched her leave. They both gave each other a worried gaze as she slammed the door shut. She hadn't told them she was going to try and join the order. How could they understand her desire to escape this place, to escape them and pursue something of worth? It was none of their business.

As she proceeded to the clearing that served as the colonies temporary landing pad small children came out of their homes with their parents in tow. One boy's mother and father rested their hands on his shoulders as he walked, speaking words of pride and encouragement. "Give me a break," she said to herself, pushing through the steadily growing crowd towards the line of young children.

She could see the two Jedi at last, and her heart began to pump with anticipation as she approached. They were using some kind of machine to take blood samples, most likely measuring for a midi-chlorian count. It seemed that most of the children hadn't fared very well so far, but she was confident that she would do differently.

At last she was next, and her she shuddered in excitement, her gaze turned skyward with relief that she might finally escape this pointless, disgusting place. She barely felt the prick of the needle as it took a blood sample. "Hmmm. Interesting," one of the Jedi said, and for the first time she felt absolutely elated.

"Let me speak to you for a moment my friend," one of the Jedi said to his companion, and they walked off together to talk to each other. Their voices dropped to murmurs, but she could still make out their words, filtering out the chatter and whispers of the crowd.

"Her midi-chlorian count is impressive…"

"But?"

"Do you sense her aura, it is obviously tainted by the darkside."

"Perhaps the hardship of surviving in this place… It wouldn't be the first time such a thing happened."

"This is true. Surely we can't risk her coming into knowledge of The Force."

"Perhaps there is a chance to save her from the darkside."

"I don't think we should take the chance. In any case, she's already much too old, the chance that a conclave would still take her in as an initiate is extremely small at best."

She felt a shadow fall on her heart, and a boiling simmering heat enveloped her as they approached her. She gazed into each of their eyes, so apathetic and uncaring, so ignorant to the hardships of living on this colony, completely ignorant to the shining future they were denying her.

"We're sorry, but you don't qualify for initiation into The Order."

She turned around without a word, her rage enveloping her as she ran into the woods. She wished that she had had her rifle with her so she could shot those Jedi so the only thing that was left was the carbon burns of their shadows pressed against their stupid starship. She began to run towards the outskirts, she was so angry, so furious that she couldn't stand to go back to her pathetic parents. She wanted to take up one of the guard posts. She wanted to kill something.

Something was moving in the mist now, and she stopped in her tracks, feeling the reverberations of a presence there, something larger than its physical being lurking in the darkness. The man moved forward, though he was still hard to see at this distance. "So, you would follow the path of a Jedi?"

She narrowed her eyes at the man, the mist clearing somewhat so that she could see he was wearing robes not unlike those of a Jedi. The cape though was a strange addition to the uniform. She didn't answer him but shifted her stance so she was ready to fight him. Aggression leaked from his very being.

"Allow me to suggest a more appropriate path for you, one where your innate talents will be appreciated and applauded." He reached out his hand in a regal matter; like she was royalty and he were helping her into her carriage. She dropped her guard and took his hand, smirking as her dark eyes shinned.


	9. Chapter IX

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

_But let us not forget our other protégé _

_Alone and unfamiliar to his new setting_

_Will those around him be abetting?_

Julan was surprised to find that the Jedi temple lacked the hectic atmosphere that plagued the streets of Courasant. This was especially evident in the hall of a thousand fountains, the room where he was waiting in while Leon healed. Here amongst the falling waters, pools, fountains, and exotic greenery, he felt that he could wait forever and not even notice. He walked over to the fountain, whose clear pristine waters reflected his face. Silently, he glanced over his features for the first time in a long time and was surprised to find that he barely recognized himself. The last time he had gazed upon his own visage was back before he was orphaned. Before he came to live in the depths of Courasant.

His green eyes gazed back at him, not dimmed by his hard life. Around his pupil they were dark green, slowly fading into a lighter shade before bleeding into light blue edges that eventually disappeared into the whites of his eyes. His blonde was a messy mop on top of his head, with the ends of each hair stained dirty brown.

He glanced around him at the Jedi who walked through the hall, some of them meditating in small chambers that branched off of the hall, some of them sitting near the fountains meditating. Following suit, he curiously sat in front of the pool he had gazed into, careful to perfectly imitate the posture of the Jedi, and focused on the sound of the fountains and waterfalls.

His breathing suddenly fell into measured breaths as if this was all second nature as he breathed in, held his breath, then exhaled, continuing the cycle with precision and equal time allotted to each phase. Seven seconds in, seven seconds held, seven seconds exhaled, and again. His mind drifted, sinking into something that was difficult to describe. Time seemed to steadily slip away without him noticing as he felt his entire being restored, and a strange sort of web extended from his being, connecting him to his surroundings so that he felt he had become his surroundings.

"I couldn't ask for a better student," Jawa Jedi Master Kin-Wan Pic rapidly said to Master Bnar. "I would be happy to take him as a student. I wish that some of the other younglings had the patience for meditation that he does. Indeed, it seems that he was made for this. I see much potential in him." The teacher continued to watch the boy as he meditated, his glowing eyes curled into a smile.

"The influence of the force on him is indeed evident," Bnar said in a slow and steady tone that foiled the Jawa master's rapid basic. "You can see it too, can't you?"

"Yes. It is peculiar though, I have seen younglings and Jedi alike who are enveloped in the force like whirlwind. Those they encounter are enveloped by that whirlwind as well, and carried off. But the force flows from him in a steady pulse, it extends from him in a calm and steadily growing pool. But such things are not always the sign of greatness. Sometimes such knights never live up to the potential of their supposed destiny."

"But you will take him as a student?" Bnar said, setting his gaze on the small Jawa. "He is still too young and inexperienced to become a padawan."

"I have not denied a student yet," Master Pic said, turning his gaze to his fellow master. "And as I said, I couldn't ask for a better student."

Julan thought he heard a cough, a strange horse interruption that seemed entirely out of place in that tranquil place. He almost didn't realize he heard it, having fallen into a deep meditative state, and the sound only came to his notice in a half-conscious way that you heard things in sleep. Suddenly though, he felt a small hand violently shove his shoulder, breaking his concentration.

He blinked his eyes open, and turned around to look at a child that was about his age, but slightly taller, his body better sculpted from his training. He stood over him with a smug expression, his arms folded over his chest. "So you're the new initiate?" He said, a very subtle scoff escaped his lips, "I'm Dustal Tull, of the House of Tull. Obviously." He thrust his hand out in front of him, which caused Julan to flinch back in fear that the boy was about to deliver a blow to his stomach.

Julan stood up, awkwardly nodding his head. He wasn't used to interacting with people outside of the gang, and even then he had mostly kept to himself. He felt especially uncomfortable because of the air of aggression that hung on this Dustal, and couldn't understand why a Jedi in training would so rudely interrupt his meditation. "Uh, hello." Julan said, "I'm Julan Tame."

"I'm sure we'll be great friends you and I." He said, smiling as he shook his hand furiously. "I know a strong one when I see them, you'll soon rise above all the other students. Well, except me of course, my family has always reigned over the less worthy initiates."

"Thank you," Julan said, unsure of how he felt about this initiate. "Your family you say? But I thought Jedi weren't allowed to have children."

Master Pic let loose an uncertain sigh and shook his hooded head. "If ever there was a youngling I felt wasn't meant to take up the Jedi mantle, it was Dustal Tull."

"Indeed the whole House of Tull has always been a handful, younglings or knights." Bnar agreed, "I have taught a few in my time. It is strange indeed that some of the other Jedi allow them to be trained. The fact we have a family of Jedi is blasphemous to begin with."

"Yes, strange how all the children who become younglings are always the offspring of some distant 'uncle.' Their disrespect for the Jedi code is shameful indeed. I have tried to reach their children, but their arrogance is an impenetrable haze."

"Perhaps this friendship will lead him towards a more suitable life as a Jedi."

"I think Bnar that you place too much on the boy's shoulders. By the end of the day you will have placed the fate of the entire galaxy upon his shoulders. We shall see where his potential leads him, but he is still a child, and one lacking a true sense of self. Till now, he has been mostly ignored and isolated, meant to conform to his fellow orphans. Here where his skill will be appreciated, perhaps a sense of individuality will begin to emerge. But, until he has developed his own personality, we have no clue where his true path will lead."

"I am glad that I can trust you with him. I would offer to help supervise his training, but I must leave the temple soon." Bnar said, almost with sadness. "I hope that he is able to catch up with his fellow younglings, and he is not too influenced by the Tull child."

"Only time will tell my friend. I wish you luck on your journey to Ossus. I hope that your time as Librarian will be enjoyable."

"Thank you my friend, may The Force be with you."

"And also with you."


End file.
